NK weekly-external news
Summary of external news of North Korea this week
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news on North Korea this week.
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(2nd LD) Trump says he will reach out to N. Korea's Kim again
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again, a remark that raised the prospects for the resumption of his summit diplomacy with the reclusive leader.
Trump made the remarks during a Fox News interview broadcast Thursday, portraying Kim as a "smart guy" and "not a religious zealot" -- a description that appears to indicate his view that the North Korean leader could be somebody he can communicate with for a negotiation.
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N. Korea suspected of preparing for additional troop deployment to Russia: JCS
SEOUL -- North Korea is presumed to be accelerating preparations for the additional deployment of its troops to Russia while continuing to push for potential launches of a spy satellite or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korea's military said Friday.
The assessment comes as South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of sending around 11,000 troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Seoul's spy agency said at least 300 North Korean troops have been killed, while some 2,700 have been wounded.
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Expert expects 'no N. Korea detente' during Trump's 1st month in office
WASHINGTON -- A think tank expert has anticipated no "detente" between the United States and North Korea in new U.S. President Donald Trump's first month in office, pointing to the recalcitrant regime's advancing nuclear capabilities and growing ties with Russia.
In an opinion piece in The Hill, a U.S. media outlet, Ransom Miller, a research associate at the Institute for Global Affairs, put the North Korea issue on a list of what might happen in Trump's first month in command of America's foreign policy. The list included tariffs levied against U.S. neighbors first and continued aid to Ukraine.
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(2nd LD) FM Cho, Rubio agree on close coordination on N.K. nukes during 1st phone talks
SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held his first phone call on Thursday with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and they agreed to maintain close cooperation on North Korea's nuclear issues, the foreign ministry here said.
The phone conversation took place after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday (U.S. time) and the top diplomats of the two nations discussed bilateral relations, North Korean nuclear issues as well as trilateral cooperation involving Japan, the foreign ministry said.
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Around 1,000 N. Korean troops killed in war against Ukraine: report
SEOUL -- About 1,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's western front-line region of Kursk, a news report said Thursday.
Out of the estimated 11,000 North Korean troops deployed in support of Russia's war against Ukraine, 4,000 have been killed, wounded, missing or captured, BBC reported, citing unnamed Western officials.
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(LEAD) Trump calls N. Korea 'nuclear power,' says Kim will be happy to see his presidential comeback
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday described North Korea as a "nuclear power" and anticipated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be "happy" to see his return to the White House.
During a press availability at the Oval Office, Trump made his first public mention of the recalcitrant regime since he was sworn in as the United States' 47th president in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington earlier in the day.
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